Exercise protocols and analytical procedures for assessing the heart rate deflection point in athletes: a systematic review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24310/riccafd.14.1.2025.21060Keywords:
exercise physiology, anaerobic threshold , sportsAbstract
Introduction: This systematic review evaluates the exercise protocols used to determine the heart rate deflection point (HRDP) in athletes, emphasizing its relevance as a non-invasive biomarker of the anaerobic threshold. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in EBSCOhost, PubMed, and Scopus from 1982 to May 2024 using terms such as "heart rate deflection point" and "anaerobic threshold." Original studies including athletes of any age, sex, and competitive level were included, while low-quality studies and duplicate data were excluded. Extracted data included participant characteristics, exercise protocols (e.g., ramp tests, Conconi protocols), and HRDP assessment methods (visual or computational). Results: A total of 31 studies involving 3,522 athletes (91.8% men) were included. The results showed significant variability in HRDP identification depending on the protocol used. Ramp tests and Conconi protocols (original and modified) achieved identification rates above 90% in specific populations, whereas field-based methods demonstrated lower sensitivity (<50%). Reproducibility and validity of HRDP measurements also varied according to protocol design, participant characteristics, and analytical techniques. Conclusions: While HRDP is a promising tool for estimating the anaerobic threshold, its practical application is limited by methodological inconsistencies. Future research is needed to establish standardized and reproducible protocols
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